Vulcanizing press



May 28, 1968 H. P. BOEKER VULCANIZING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 18, 1966 Hans R Boeker INVEN'JUR.

4 5 f GU Attomey 'May 28, 1968 Filed Feb. 18, 1966 H. P. BOEKER VULCANI Z ING PRES S 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hans I? Boeker INVEN'I UR.

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Attorney United States Patent O 3,384,928 VULCANIZXNG PRESS Hans Peter Boeker, Krefeld, Germany, assignor to Frna G. Siempelkamp & Co., Krefeld, Germany, a coi-peration of Germany Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 52.8,443 7 Claims. (Cl. 18-17) My present invention relates to a vulcanizing press of the type wherein sheet material to be vulcanized, such as an elongated rubber web, is introduced between a lower and an upper press platen which are heated to the necessary vulcanizing temperature and which are intermittently moved toward each other to compress the sheet between them; fiuid-operated, preferably hydraulic, means are usually employed for moving one of the press platens toward and away from the other, generally stationary press platen.

In the case of large-scalc vulcanizing presses, e.g. those designed to accommodate wide rubber webs with im- 'oedded steel cables or the like, it is desirable to mount the platens on the press frame in such a way as to give ready access to both sides of each platen in order to t'aclitate inspection of the interposed sheet and, if necessary, manual detachment of this sheet from the face plates of the platens to which the rubber may locally adhere when the press is reopened. For this purpose it is convenient to construct the press frame from a multiplicity of parallel -uprght sections which are of generally rectangular configuration and are formed with generally rectangular aligned cutouts to define a horizontal walkway; this walkway, alfording bilateral access to the platens which extend across the sections within their cutouts, enables an operator to approach the vulcanized web from either side as soon as the platens have separated and have sufciently cooled.

A problem arising in a Construction of this type is the difiiculty of securely interconnecting the several frame sections to form a rigid unit, having regard to the need for accommodating the fluid Conduits and other elements associated with the heating and clamping means. The general object of my invention is to solve this problem in a simple and effective manner, resulting in a sturdy and compact frame unit.

In accordance with this inventon I use the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders of the clamping system, disposed between the frame sections, as part of the bracing means serving to interconnect these sections. The cylinders, accordingly, are rigid with the adjacent sections and, pursuart to a further feature of my invention, may be transversely spaced in pars between pairs of adjoining sections for greater stability. According to another feature of my invcntion, the bracing means additionally include a series of tubular spacers alignedly disposed, in one or more rows, between the frame sections above and/or below the cutouts, thus at a level oset from the walkway. Each row of aligned spacers is traversed by a cable under tension which stresses the sections into firm ergagement with the interleaved spacers.

The nvention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side-clevational view of a press embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line Il-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

The vulcanizin press shown in the drawing comprises a foundation 11 supporting, with the aid of a pair of horizontal beams 12, a multiplicity of generally rectangular, parallel upright sections 2 which are secured to the "ice beams 12 by brackets 13. Each upright 2 is formed with a generally rectangular cutout 9, the aligned cutouts defining a horizontal walkway partly occupied by an upper press platen 3 with a face plate 5 and a lower press platen 4 with a face plate 6; an elongated web of rubber or other vulcanizable sheet material has been illustrated diagrammatically at 1.

The upper platen 3 is stationary and Secured to the foundation 11 with the aid of end supports 15 and intermediate supports 16, the latter extending between alternate pairs of successive frame sections 2. The lower platen 4 rests on pistons 8 which rise from respective hydraulic cylinders 7; the cylinders 7 are hydraulically connected in parallel and are disposed in transversely spaced pairs, on opposite sides of a median longitudinal plane, between pairs of sections 2 whose spacing is somewhat greater than the separation of those sections between which no cylinders are located. The cylinders 7 are rigid with the adjoining sections 2 and form therewith a unitary structure which is further stiffened by Supplemental bracing means generally designated 10, 10' and 10". These supplemental bracing means are constituted by aligned tubular spacers 10b which bear upon the intervening uprights 2 and are traversed by a continuous cable 1011, as best illustrated in FIG. 3 for the array 10, the cable being held under tension by conventional tightening means 20. It will be noted that the arrays 10 and 10' are disposed above the walkway 9 whereas the arrays 10" are located below the walkway.

Conduits for admitting a heating fluid to the platens 3, 4 have been shown diagrammatically at 17. Other conduits, facilitating the introduction of a hydraulic fluid into the cylinder 7 and the withdrawal of the fluid therefrom, are shown at 18. The flow of these fluids is controlled in conventional manner by valves, some of which have been shown at 17' and 13', an additional control for the admission of heating fluid being indicated at 19 and including a lever 19a entrained by the rising platen 4.

A platform 14 overlies the bottom edges of cutouts 9 to form a oor for the walkway. This platform extends underneath the lower platen 4 and is formed with apertures 14a penetrated by the cylinders 7 which, as shown,

are substantially tlush with the floor defined by the platform. By being rigidly Secured to the platform 14, the cylinders 7 may serve as additional supports therefor.

I claim:

1. In a vulcanizing press, in combination, a press rame comprisng a multiplicity of parallel upright sections of generally rectangular configuration, said sections being formed with generally rectangular aligned cutouts defining a horizontal walkway; a lower press platen and an upper press platen extending horizontally across said sections within said cutouts with bilateral accessibility from said walkway; heating means for said platens; fluid-operated clamping means including cylinders disposed between said sections for vertically displacing one of said platens with reference to the other platen; and bracing means including said cylinders for consolidating said secions into a unitary mechanical structure, said sections being rigid with said cylinders.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said bracing means further includes a series of tubular spacers alignedly interposed between said sections at a level oltset from said walhway and cable means extending under tension through said spacers.

3. The combinaton defined in claim 1 wherein said cylinders are transversely spaced in pairs between pairs of adjoining sections underneath said walkway and are provided with upwardly exten ding pistons movably supporting said lower platen.

4. The combnation defined in claim 3, further comprisng a platform overlyng the bottom edges of said cutouts and forming a floor for said walkway, said oor having apertures for the passage of said istons.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said cylinders penetrate said apertures and are substantially flush With said floor.

6. The combnation defined in claim S Wherein said cylnders are rigd with said platform.

7. The combination defined in claim 3 Wherein said sections are altemately spaced with larger and smaller separations, said cylinders being dsposed between the more widely separated sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,201,627 10/ 1916 Roberts. 1,874,698 8/1932 De Turk. 2,013,587 9/1935 Stacy. 2,141,195 12/1938 Novak et al. 2,821,747 2/ 195 8 Rossten I. HOWARD FLINT, JR., Primay Exam'ncr. 

1. IN A VULCANIZING PRESS, IN COMBINATION, A PRESS FRAME COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF PARALLEL UPRIGHT SECTIONS OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID SECTIONS BEING FORMED WITH GENERALLY ERCTANGULAR ALIGNED CUTOUTS DEFINING A HORIZONTAL WAKKWAY; A LOWER PRESS PLATEN AND AN UPPER PRESS PLATEN EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY ACROSS SAID SECTIONS WITHIN SAID CUTOUTS WITH BILATERAL ACCESSIBILITY FROM SAID WALKWAY; HEATING MEANS FOR SAID PLATENS; FLUID-OPERATED CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING CYLINDERS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS FOR VERTICALLY DISPLACING ONE OF SAID PLATENS WITH REFERENCE TO THE OTHER PLATEN; AND BRACING MEANS INCLUDING SAID CYLINDERS FOR CONSOLIDATION SAID SECTIONS INTO A UNITARY MECHANICAL STRUCTURE, SAID SECTIONS BEING RIGID WITH SAID CYLINDRERS. 